Are Multnomah County Records Public?

Yes. The Oregon Public Records Law (OPRL) guarantees the public availability of Multnomah County agencies’ public records to requesters. According to ORS § 192.005, a public record means any information created, owned, utilized, or maintained by an agency that relates to its official business. A record can be in electronic or paper form, including databases, email, photographs, and social media posts. The Oregon Public Records Law (OPRL) covers records maintained by any state officer, department, board, or commission. It excludes records of the Legislative Assembly and the Judicial Department such as Multnomah county court records.

What is Exempted Under the Oregon Public Records Act?

The Oregon Public Records Law (OPRL) permits public access to government records with some exemptions. According to ORS § 192.338, a public body maintaining records that contain public and exempted information must separate the exempt and nonexempt material and make the nonpublic one available to the public. The following records are exempt from disclosure in Multnomah County (ORS §192.355):

• Any plan, document, or record created for cyber protection
• Unclaimed property reports filed by the property owners as permitted by ORS § 98.352.
• Records that certify or verify that a person has been discharged or separated from military service except as authorized by ORS § 408.425
• Records pertaining to employer accounts maintained by the State Accident Insurance Fund Corporation.
• Energy Facility Siting Council records concerning the review or approval of security programs according to ORS § 469.530.
• Proprietary information with a nondisclosure agreement clause provided to the Oregon Broadband Office pursuant to ORS § 285A.176
• Personal information whose disclosure would clearly constitute an unreasonable invasion of privacy.
• Energy Facility Siting Council records relating to the review or approval of security programs according to ORS § 469.530
• Some records in the custody of the Oregon Investment Council, State Treasurer, or the agents of the council or the treasurer concerning active or proposed publicly traded investments pursuant to ORS chapter 293.
• Library records, including circulation information and the library patron's personal details (name, email, residential address, or telephone number).
• The Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) records or information whose disclosure would interfere with rehabilitating individuals incarcerated in state prisons.
• Any record or reports compiled or received by the Director of the Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS) in the administration of ORS chapters 723 and 725.
• Employee and retiree address, telephone number, and financial records in the custody of the Public Employees Retirement System (ORS chapters 238 and 238A).
• A public body employee’s personal and residential phone numbers, home address, personal email, driver's license number, date of birth, Social Security number, employer-issued identification card number, and emergency contact information contained in records maintained by their employer.

Public bodies only release exempted records to subjects of records, their legal representative, and any government official who needs the records for business purposes. Members of the public would need a court order to access exempted records in Multnomah County.

Multnomah County Public Records Search

Any member of the public who wants to conduct a Multnomah County public record search must know the specific record they want to inspect or copy. They should submit their requests for public records to the government agency that has or controls the desired record. Requests can be made online, by mail, email, or in person at the agency’s office. A public agency may charge a fee to recover the cost of fulfilling a records request. They may require a requester to cover the costs of compiling records upfront. Any agency can waive or reduce copying fees of public records if doing so is in the public interest. Requesters can appeal a public agency’s refusal to waive the copying fee. After receiving a public record request and payment of the necessary fees, a public agency has five business days to respond to it in the form of acknowledging receipts or ten business days to complete the request.

Find Public Records For Free in Multnomah County

Most Multnomah County public records are available for free on some public agencies’ websites. Record seekers should check the website of the agency in charge of their desired record and locate their free online portal to conduct a search. For example, individuals can find property information without charges through the Property Search Tools and Maps available on the Multnomah County Assessment & Taxation Department’s website.

Individuals can also find free Multnomah County public records on third-party websites. The only limitation to this is that such websites only return basic information for free. Users would have to pay a small fee to access comprehensive public records. Verifying any information retrieved from third-party platforms is important because some of them can be unreliable.

How to Remove Information From Public Records Free

Many public agencies in Multnomah County have designated forms or procedures on their websites that should be completed or followed to remove information from public records. Only individuals who meet certain eligibility criteria can have their records restricted from the public. For example, individuals who meet the eligibility criteria spelled out in ORS §137.225 or ORS 475B.401 can have their criminal records expunged. They should complete the Motion and Declaration to Set Aside Form and file it with the Multnomah County Circuit Court by mail or in person.

Who Can Access Multnomah County Public Records in Oregon?

Per ORS §192.314, every person can inspect or copy any public body’s record in Multnomah County. The person can be any natural person, partnership, member or committee of the Legislative Assembly, corporation, association, or firm (ORS § 192.311). A Multnomah County public records requestor must not be an Oregon or United States citizen.

What Happens if I Am Refused a Public Records Request?

The major reason for refusing a public records request in Multnomah County is if the requested records fall within those exempted from the public. A public agency will withhold exempted records from individuals who are ineligible to access them. According to ORS § 192.411, anyone denied access to a public agency’s record can petition the Oregon Attorney General to review the record to determine if it should be released for public inspection. The petition can be submitted using the Petition For Public Records Order on the Oregon Department of Justice’s (DOJ) website. After receiving the petition, the Attorney General must issue an order to deny, grant, or deny and grant the release of the record in part within seven days. If the Attorney general grants the petition and orders the public agency to release the whole or part of the record to the requester, the public agency has seven days to comply with the order.